Curtis Smith

Curtis Smith is the KEPCO Professor of the Practice in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previously, he served as Director for the Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Research Division at Idaho National Laboratory, where he led major programs such as the DOE Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program’s Risk-Informed Systems Analysis (RISA) Pathway and the NRC’s SAPHIRE risk-analysis software development.

Dr. Smith earned a PhD in nuclear engineering from MIT and holds both a B.S. and M.S. in nuclear engineering from Idaho State University.

His research centers on advancing risk and reliability methods to ensure safe, efficient performance of complex nuclear and aerospace systems. Key themes include probabilistic risk assessment, Bayesian inference, Monte-Carlo simulation, uncertainty quantification, and human reliability modeling. He integrates machine-learning techniques and digital-twin concepts to predict system failures and optimize maintenance strategies.

Teaching responsibilities include leading the capstone course 22.033 Nuclear Systems Design Project and previously teaching 22.38 Probability and Its Applications to Reliability, Quality Control, and Risk Assessment.

Awards & Honors

• Idaho National Laboratory Director Leadership Award (2022)
• Idaho State University Professional Achievement Award, College of Science and Engineering (2023)
• Fellow of the American Nuclear Society (2023)

Dr. Smith has published more than 300 papers, books, and technical reports, and he continues to mentor students while spearheading large federally funded research initiatives.